The Florida Senate

The bill requires the Florida Institute for Parkinson’s Disease (Institute) at the University of South Florida to establish a statewide Parkinson’s disease registry, subject to a specific appropriation. The Institute is required to maintain the Parkinson’s disease registry to ensure that the Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism performance measures required to be submitted to the registry are maintained and available for use to improve or modify the Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism care system, ensure compliance with standards and nationally recognized guidelines, and monitor Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism patient outcomes.

The bill requires allopathic and osteopathic physicians and advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) licensed in Florida who diagnose or treat a patient for Parkinson’s disease or atypical parkinsonism to report to the registry information containing nationally recognized Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism performance measures. The bill prohibits a liability of any kind or character for damages or other relief from arising or being enforced against a physician or APRN by reason of having provided such information to the statewide Parkinson’s disease registry.

The bill requires, beginning January 1, 2028, the Institute to create and maintain a public website dedicated solely to the registry which must include, at a minimum, downloadable annual reports on the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism, information on the Consortium for Parkinson’s Disease Research (Consortium), and other information as determined by the Parkinson’s Disease Research Board (Board). The website must be updated January 1, 2029, and annually thereafter.

The bill revises the composition of the Board to include one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The bill decreases Board membership duration from four years to three years and revises the type of experience that Board members must have in order to be eligible for membership, as follows:

• The bill eliminates the requirement for Board members to have experience in a variety of scientific fields, including, but not limited to, neurology, psychology, nutrition, and genetics.
• Instead, the bill requires that Board members, other than those appointed by the Legislature’s presiding officers, must have experience as a movement disorder specialist and in informatics or population health research and Parkinson’s disease research.

The bill revises the contents of the Board’s annual report to eliminate “future plans for the Consortium” as a required element and require that, beginning on October 15, 2028, and annually thereafter, the report must include a summary update on the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism in this state by county, how many records have been included and reported to the registry, and demographic information, such as patients by age, gender, and race.

If approved by the Governor, or allowed to become law without the Governor's signature, these provisions take effect on July 1, 2026.

Vote: Senate 32-0; House 107-0